Madagascan former president Didier Ratsiraka has criticized his successor, current president Marc Ravalomanana, for the worsening of security situation in the island country.
During a telephone interview organized by his Action for Renovation of Madagascar party, or Action pour la Renaissance de Madagscar (AREMA) in French, here on Thursday, Ratsiraka said that security in the country is worsening because of rivalry rather than coordination between the armed forces and the national gendarmerie
According to the law of the country, the armed forces are responsible for national defense while the national gendarmerie is in charge of internal security.
"The armed forces and national gendarmerie are in the process of maintaining a rivalry," said Ratsiraka, who fled to France in July, 2002, after a six-month stalemate with Ravalomanana.
According to Midi, a French-Language daily published here on Friday, the former president refuted the rumors that he is not in good health, saying that he is healthy and still has many years to live.
Ratsiraka implicitly criticized the government policy of estranging itself from France by deciding to build a feed mill to accelerate the development of livestock with assistance of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The government should take a look on earlier agreements signed between Madagascar and French Agency for Development (AFD), he added.
Compared his regime with the Ravalomanana government, Ratsiraka, who is now living in Paris, denounced the government decision to deport French journalists, including Christian Chadefaux in April 2006 and Olivier Peguy in May 2005.
Asked about his response about the criticism, Ravalomanana said he did not need to listen to such remarks.
"At the moment, I am commanding all actions of the development in the country. Everyone has the right to say what he wants," he told the media Thursday evening immediately after returning from Tanzania, where he attended a 3-day meeting with African Union president Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.
Both Ravalomanana and Ratsiraka declared as a winner of the national presidential election that took place in December 2001, but Ravalomanana finally won the support of the High Constitutional Court, which announced Ravalomanana as winner of the election in April 2002.
The political standoff only came to the end in July 2002, when Ravalomanana fully took control of the country and Ratsiraka went into exile in France.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article